Urgent noob questions?
 

Sorry about this as I'm sure al the info is here and in the user guide but I need to order a pocket HDD drive today to use for a SD bootable hard drive copy and, ultimately, Time Machine. I have an Intel MacBook with a 120 G hard drive (Mac Extended) and have the Leopard disc ready to upgrade from Tiger 10.4. So my queries:

1) What size of drive is recommended. My HDD has around 100 G still free. Will a 320 G drive be OK or is 500 better?

2) Does the user guide and/or elsewhere take me through EXACTLY what i need to do and how to do it regarding formatting the drive (to HFS?), partitioning it, what sizes of partition etc etc.

3) I have a firewire port so is a FW drive still better?

4) The site mentions drives being suggested in the user guide (I think). I can't find any? I've seen the compatible drives post but I am UK based and am trying to find details of drives that might be usable and available here.

Any help appreciated.

With Time Machine, larger is better.

There are many posts on the forums that explain in detail how to partition. For sizes, you'll want 120GB for the bootable volume and the rest for TM, etc.

FW is always preferred to USB.

LaCie drives should be available in the UK...

Thanks. Forgot to add, the haste is due to fact that I fly out to UAE on 28th.

Rather than risk post and Amazon (albeit they or normally very good) I think I might hit the Mac shop in Regent St and hope the have a sale on on 27th. Or even risk Dixons at the Airport for Duty Free. If push comes to shove I can try to get in the UAE but I find tech stuff there more expensive than the UK and a few 'models' behind in spec.

I quite like the look of the pocket drives. I may actually not end up using Time Machine much, if it all. Might just back up what I need on a spare partition. I can look at doing that once I have it. Just wanted to make sure I didn't buy the wrong thing as I only thought about this today. Last minute rush.

Either the Iomega eGo 250 GB:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iomega-eGo-P...888512&sr=1-10

or the Lacie Little Disk 320 GB:

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/TS...mco=Mjg2OTA1Mg

or even the rugged version

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/TR...mco=MTIxODk3Mw

The LittleBig Disk is a good drive I've tested here. I haven't tested the rugged, but it's probably fine. Iomega drives have been good and bad: don't have direct experience with that one.

Thanks. I'm looking at the pocket drives for preference. Might try one of the Iomega eGo and keep my fingers crossed.

Out of the ones you asked about, that's probably the worst. You sure you want to do that?

Hmmmm. No :-) Might look good but don't sound to good in use now I've looked at reviews. Might try to get a FreeAgent Go for Mac:

http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallif...lchandate&pn=2

This gets a good review in MacWorld mag (but then again, the same mag gives the eGo 4 stars too!!!). Even the WD Passport seems to be rated fairly high???

Or even give up a little on the portability front and get a small desktop drive instead.

Remember that smaller drives tend to have heat problems. It's often better to have a high quality desktop drive with a (quiet) fan. Heat often leads to premature drive death.